The Rockford Files To Protect and Serve: Part 2 (1974–1980) watch online HD

If part one of this two parter was a bit too much exposition, part two is a nice payoff, and is packed with action and good moments.

The episode begins with Rockford stashing Patsy (soap star Leslie Charleston) aboard a boat in Oxnard with Wes Wesley (Lou Frizzel), yet another old prison buddy (if he really wanted her to be protected, shouldn't he have left her with Gandy?). He tries to con both his client Michael Kelly (Jon Cypher, who would later become Chief Fletcher on "Hill Street Blues") into thinking the mob has Patsy and the mobsters (George Loros as Tony and Luke Andreas as Syl) into thinking he's turned her over to Kelly. His plan almost works--except when cop groupie Leeann Sweeney (Joyce Van Patten) gets in the way.

This episode has a rare scene between Rockford and Patsy in which Jim reminisces how he got through prison by acting tough (and makes a veiled reference to sharing a cell in C Block with Gandy). Chase also gives Charleston some nice moments on the boat when she realizes the man she loves is actually out there to kill her. Dennis and Chapman both get effective scenes chewing out LeeAnn at the end (though both are a little out of their jurisdiction in Oxnard!) And George Loros is terrific as he questions Joyce Van Patten in Rockford's trailer. He's never been more menacing or effective in this series.

Noah Beery's son Bucklind returns as Officer Mazursky and he gets more dialog than usual in a series of phone calls with LeeAnn.

Maybe as a two parter this is a little stretched out, but this second half is really a lot of fun to watch.

This is a second part of a story where now James Garner has rescued Leslie Charleson from the clutches of mob hit men. She was the girlfriend of mob lawyer Jon Cypher and too much pillow talk passed between them to let her live. She's got Cypher after him and also a couple of button guys from Brooklyn as well.

Garner has to park Charleson with old prison buddy Lou Frizzell on his charter boat in Oxnard while he figures out his next move. He has a plan and it might just work but there's a police groupie in the mix.

Joyce Van Patten returns as police buff/groupie who just wants to be part of the action. It beats her life which is running a bowling shoe concession at the local alley. She inserts herself in the case and this is one of the few times in the history of the Rockford Files that you will see James Garner, Joe Santos, and James Luisi all on the same page when it comes to here. In part one she was annoying, in part two she graduates to menace.

For Van Patten this is one of the best roles she ever had in her career. There's a nice climax on the Oxnard pier to this story as well.